The Governance Board

Colie and Nora O'Donnell, founding members

The O'Donnell family has enjoyed the many benefits of land ownership in the United States, thanks to the strength and stability of our free democratic system that would not exist without the great sacrifices of the men and women of the United States Military and their families. Vetlands was founded as a means to thank them for their sacrifices. Mr. O’Donnell holds a B.S. in Business Administration from New York University, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a M.S. in Molecular Biology from University of Massachusetts Boston. He is currently studying towards a PhD in Biomedical Science at University of Massachusetts Medical School. In the 1990’s he worked in several agricultural biotechnology ventures in the United States, India, and China. Mrs. O’Donnell holds a B.A. in English from Notre Dame University and is currently studying towards a M.S. in Library Science at Simmons College. She serves on the governance boards of several charitable foundations.

Seth Moulton

Seth Moulton served in the Marine Corps from January 2002 until February 2006. As an infantry officer with 1st Battalion, 4th Marines (1/4) based in Camp Pendleton, California, he deployed twice to Iraqas a platoon commander. His battalion took part in the March 2003 invasion and then settled in the city of Hillauntil September, where Moulton focused on working with the new Iraqi media. In July 2004, 1/4 returned to Iraqand fought the Battle of Najaf, after which Moulton and his Marines spent most of their time training the new Iraqi Army. In February 2005, he extended his deployment to work as a Special Assistant to General Petraeus, the commander in charge of training Iraqi Security Forces. After traveling the country working closely with Iraqi military and political leaders, he finally returned to the U.S.in October 2005.

Moulton grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts, and received his undergraduate degree from Harvard in 2001. He is currently pursuing his graduate studies and joined the Vetlands board in March 2006.

Rye Barcott

Rye Barcott attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a Marine Corps option NROTC scholarship and graduated with a B.A. in Peace, War, and Defense, and International Studies.Formerly a Triangle Institute for Security Studies Millennium Fellow, he is Co-Author with James Peacock and Carrie Matthews of the "American Anthropological Association Statement on Ethnic Cleansing," and Co-Editor with Carolyn Pumphrey of Armed Conflict in Africa (Scarecrow, 2004).In January 2001, Rye established Carolina For Kibera, Inc. as an international non-governmental organization that leads a sports association, girls' reproductive health center, and a medical clinic in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya. As a Marine Corps officer, he has served in Bosnia & Hercegovina, the Horn of Africa, and Iraq.He is currently based in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Vincent J. Tuohey

Frank L. McNamara, Jr.

Mr. McNamara was born in Providence, Rhode Island on November 4, 1947 and was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in January of 1977. Between his graduation from Harvard College (A.B. 1969) and The University of Virginia School of Law (J.D. 1976), he served as an Intelligence Officer in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. Following law school, he worked for three years as an associated of the Boston firm of Choate, Hall & Stewart before leaving that position to become the Assistant General Councel and Corportate Secretary of the Boston Gas Company. In 1982 he was Republican candidate for Congress in Massachusetts' Eight Congressional District challenging Democrat Speaker of the House Thomas P. ("Tip") O'Neill. In 1983 he established the general practive Boston firm of Vena, McNamara, Truelove & Lahey. In 1986 he left private practice to accept an appointment from the President Ronald W. Reagan to serve as The United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. He retured to private practice in 1989 and established the Boston and Marlborough-based law firm of McNarara & Associates. From 2003 through 2005 he served as President of Parkman Shaw & Company, Inc., a Boston-based registered investment advisor. In April, 2006 he joined the firm of Highmount Capital LLC as Managing Director. Highmount, with offices in Boston, New York and London advises high net-worth individuals and institutions in the areas of investment, wealth management, and family governance. Frank and his wife Elizabeth are the parents of twelve children and live in Bolton, Massachusetts.